Dr. Katelin Ratliff talks with patient Hilda Schwinn of Marshfield on Jan. 29 at the Family Health Center of Marshfield Dental Center, operated in conjunction with Marshfield Clinic.

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As more studies link dental care to overall health, it's with good reason that dental professionals continue to push healthy oral hygiene habits. There is evidence that cavities and gum disease can lead to health problems throughout the entire body.

Amit Acharya, a dental informatics scientist at the Marshfield Clinic Research Foundation, said infection can enter the body through cavities and problem areas in the gums.

"Once there is infection in the blood stream, it could go anywhere in the body," he said. ...